


Falling Into You

by searchingwardrobes



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Brief mention of Captain Swan, Cheating, F/M, Friendship, cheerleading
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-04
Updated: 2018-07-04
Packaged: 2019-06-05 08:19:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,582
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15166532
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/searchingwardrobes/pseuds/searchingwardrobes
Summary: Mary Margaret is trying to forget about her silly summer cheer camp crush on the college instructor they've all dubbed "Prince Charming." Until she literally falls into his arms. His very muscular arms . . .





	Falling Into You

**Author's Note:**

> *I normally write for the Captain Swan fandom, and while I've written CS/Snowing stories, this is my first story that is strictly Snowing. So please be kind! For my normal CS followers, there is a mention of our OTP that I hope will make you smile :)  
> * Since Cheerleading was an American invention, I thought this was fitting for the 4th.

              They called him Prince Charming. He was over six feet of pure muscle, perfect blonde hair, and blue eyes. So the name fit. He was the type of guy you couldn’t help swoon over, and then when he flashed a smile with those perfect white teeth, well . . . it gave new meaning to the phrase “weak in the knees.”

              The college instructors at cheer camp were always intriguing, so different from the small number of guys who cheered in high school. Mary Margaret’s coach told them that the big universities usually gave full scholarships to male cheerleaders, so they were always the buffest, most fit athletes money could buy. But Prince Charming? He took it to a whole other level. Because with him, it wasn’t just his physique. You didn’t get the moniker “charming” just for being a hottie. No, behind that smile were encouraging words, respect, and genuine kindness that were rare in guys his age. Hence the swooning.

              And the weeping and gnashing of teeth when the high school campers discovered he was dating his stunt partner, Kathryn. And not only that, they had what appeared to be a steady and serious relationship that had gone on for the majority of their freshman year at The University of Kentucky. Kathryn was the exact opposite of Mary Margaret in every way: willowy instead of petite, blonde and blue-eyed instead of brunette and green-eyed, regal and poised instead of bubbly and tenacious. So Mary Margaret didn’t know why she wasted her time pining. It was just a stupid summer crush; nothing to get bent out of shape over. She was seventeen and about to start her senior year at Storybrooke High. He was going into his sophomore year on a full scholarship from the most decorated college cheer program in the nation. Prince Charming would never give a mousy girl like her a second glance. So she would just admire him from afar.

              Until the day she fell into his arms. Literally. Everyone else on her squad accused her of doing it on purpose, but had they not known her for the past four years? Being petite meant that Mary Margaret was a flyer for her squad. Despite her fear of heights. Her freak outs when trying brand new stunts were legendary. Her stunt group: bases Ruby and Ashley and spotter Emma, just assumed they’d be bruised and battered every time they took it to the next level. Going riskier and higher with Mary Margaret was always a challenge.

              So of course she freaked out this time, as David Nolan (Prince Charming’s actual name) talked them through the new stunt. The ground was so far away, and her stunt group didn’t feel in the least bit steady. Ruby was shouting something that couldn’t possibly be good, so Mary Margaret did what she did best in these situations. She panicked . . . and jumped into Charming’s outstretched arms.

              He caught her like a groom carries a bride over the threshold, and Mary Margaret’s trembling arms went immediately around his neck. The hard knots of muscle beneath her hands sent a jolt right to the core of her, and suddenly she was light headed as his blue eyes locked on her green ones. He gathered her a tiny bit closer, pressing her body against that broad, hard chest. Then he smiled and she completely forgot where she was.

              “Are you okay?” he asked.

              All she could do was swallow thickly. How did words get from her brain to her mouth again? She couldn’t quite remember.

              “What the hell, MM?” Emma snapped from where she lay sprawled on the ground.

              Mary Margaret blinked at the sound. Then a blush crept across her face as she realized that her fingers had drifted to the hair at the nape of Charming’s . . . er, David’s neck.

              “I didn’t sign up for this,” Emma continued as she hauled herself up and examined the bruise on her hip.

              “Yeah,” Ruby grumbled, “how many times do I have to explain that when you jump you push us all out of the way? You know, the ones who can actually catch you?”

              Amazingly, David’s eyes hadn’t left Mary Margaret’s. “I caught her just fine,” he said, a bit hoarsely.

              “Yeah, we can all see that,” a new voice snapped. “I think you can put her down now, David.”

              David finally tore his gaze away from Mary Margaret’s, and now he was the one blushing when he saw his girlfriend standing nearby with her arms crossed and a scowl on her face.

              “Oh right,” he muttered.

But even then, he put Mary Margaret down slowly and oh so gently, gazing at her intently again. The look he gave her made her knees literally buckle beneath her, and his arm quickly went around her. And did his thumb just brush her upper arm, or had she imagined it?

“Easy there,” he told her, “you might be a bit dizzy. Are you dehydrated? Have you had enough water today?”

Mary Margaret finally found her voice and managed to stutter, “F-fine . . . I’m fine.”

He guided her over to a park bench anyway, grabbing the Storybrooke High water bottle with MM Blanchard scrawled on it. He knelt in front of her as he handed her the water, pressing the back of his hand to her forehead in concern.

“You’re trembling,” he said, his brow furrowing.

Mary Margaret almost choked on her first swallow of water. _Only because you’re insanely hot and I keep wondering if I’m dreaming._ But out loud, she just said, “That fall just shook me up a little bit. But I’m fine really, thank you.”

              “She’s fine, David,” Kathryn repeated, yanking him by the arm.

              “Oh. My. God,” Ruby hissed once they were out of ear shot.

              “What?” Mary Margaret asked.

              “The way he looked at you,” Ashley supplied.

              “Yeah, that was pretty damn hot,” Emma agreed, nudging Mary Margaret’s knee, “I would have never expected something like that from you.”

              Mary Margaret’s face burned three shades redder. “I didn’t fall on purpose!”

              Ruby shrugged. “Well, accidental or not, you sure as hell got his attention.”

                             ***************************************************

              “Psst!”

              Mary Margaret jumped slightly at the sound behind her, but when she turned around, she couldn’t see anyone.

              “Hey, Mary Margaret!”

              There, behind a dogwood tree to the side of the cafeteria doors, was Prince Charming himself. And while she had more of her faculties about her at the moment, his smile still made her slightly light-headed. Not to mention the fact that he remembered her name.

              “David? What are you doing?”

              “Um . . . can I ask you a huge favor?” He rubbed at his jaw as he glanced through the dining hall windows.

              Mary Margaret tilted her chin slightly. “That depends.”

              “I’m . . . um . . . avoiding my girlfriend. Could you just grab me a sandwich and a bag of chips or something?”

              Mary Margaret couldn’t hold back her short laugh. “All those muscles, and you’re afraid of tiny little Kathryn? You must have done something awful.”

              A slow grin spread across his face, and his light blue eyes twinkled. “You like my muscles, huh?”

              Mary Margaret let out a huff even as her cheeks burned. She crossed her arms irritably. “You know you’re a big guy, okay? And I just think it’s ridiculous that you’re avoiding your girlfriend. Not exactly a good sign for your relationship.”

              His jaw hardened as he crossed his own arms across that broad chest of his. “Can you get me the sandwich or what?”

              Mary Margaret tilted her head. “It’ll cost you, Prince Charming.”

              His eyes went wide. “Prince Charming?”

              Mary Margaret inwardly cursed herself. What was with her today? She brushed at her hair nervously, but kept her chin up. “You know, those guys who are used to charming their way into getting whatever they want? So, _Charming_ , what’s in it for me?”

              He narrowed his eyes as he studied her. “I’ll buy you dinner tonight. Something that’s _not_ from the cafeteria. What do you say?”

              Mary Margaret blinked. “That’s . . . allowed?”

              David shrugged. “It’s just a little place called The Grille in the student quad. Not like I’m driving you off campus or anything.”

              Mary Margaret masked the butterflies in her stomach by eying him shrewdly, “Okay, Charming, it’s a deal.”

              As she walked towards the cafeteria doors, he called out after her, “And I have a name, you know.”

              She turned and smirked at him before stepping through the glass doors. “No, Charming suits you.”

                             ***************************************************

              Mary Margaret knew what her friends would say if she told them about dinner with David. They would freak out and make a big deal out of it. Ruby would insist on finding her an outfit (which would be kind of hard since the only clothes they had were their squad tank tops and cheer shorts, though she was sure Ruby would find a way), Ashley would squeal in delight, and Emma would lecture her about the fact that he still had a girlfriend. And she didn’t want to hear any of it because none of it mattered. Because this wasn’t a date. It was just a friendly gesture to reciprocate a good deed. Or something like that.

              After Mary Margaret dashed back outside to hand him his sandwich, David had told her to meet at that same spot fifteen minutes before the dinner hour. Mary Margaret tried to push aside the thought that it was because he didn’t want Kathryn to catch them. It was probably more that the college instructors weren’t supposed to socialize with the campers. That had to be it.

              Mary Margaret pressed her lips together, trying to control her eager smile when she saw David leaning causally against the tree, still in his UK t-shirt and gym shorts. So maybe she’d put on a little extra lip gloss and eye makeup. It didn’t mean anything. Especially when her outfit consisted of a red tank with SHS emblazoned across the front and black Soffe shorts. Not exactly a sexy outfit, especially when you added in the white tennis shoes and socks with little red megaphones on them.

              “Hey,” David said in greeting, his relaxed smile putting her at ease. He inclined his head for her to follow him around the sidewalk that circled the dining hall. “Like I said before, this isn’t a super fancy dinner or anything, but it’s better than the meatloaf they’re serving tonight in the dining hall.”

              Mary Margaret wrinkled her nose, “Ew. You really are my Prince Charming then.”

              He laughed at her joke, and she found she really, really liked the sound of it. “Glad I could help a damsel in distress.”

              “Hey! Who said anything about being in distress?”

              David’s eyebrows rose. “Did I or did I not catch you when you fell earlier today?”

              Mary Margaret nodded, glancing shyly down at her feet. “Point taken.”

              David opened the door for her, and she stepped through to find herself in what looked like a little diner. There were booths along the walls, and tables in the center. There was a jukebox in the back, and darts on another wall. David steered her towards one of the booths.

              “When schools in, this place is packed,” he told her as a waitress brought them menus.

              Mary Margaret glanced around, “Tonight it looks like it’s just us.”

              David leaned forward a bit. “It’s kind of nice, isn’t it?”

              Mary Margaret ducked her head, staring at the menu as if it were suddenly fascinating. She didn’t want to read too much into his smile or the way his eyes sparkled when he looked at her. He couldn’t help how handsome he was.

              David recommended the bacon cheeseburger, and even though Mary Margaret was always worrying about her curves, she agreed to try it. It was absolutely delicious, especially after two full days of dry meat and wilted salad in the dining hall. And David was wonderful company. He was easy to talk to, and Mary Margaret quickly stopped feeling nervous around him. He told her how he got into cheerleading; that he played football in high school, but wasn’t being offered any scholarships to play in college.

              “But,” David continued, pausing to take a sip of his Coke, “I also was in drama club. I did the spring musical, _Seven Brides for Seven Brothers_. I got the lead.”

              Mary Margaret’s eyes widened. “You can sing too?”

              David wagged a french fry at her. “And dance, don’t forget that. Anyway, this college recruiter comes up to me after the Sunday matinee. He was with the UK cheerleading program. I brushed it off at first, but when he told me it was a full ride?” David leaned back in the booth with a shrug. “How could I say no? My dad took off when I was a kid, so my mom really couldn’t pay for school all by herself. It was a no-brainer. And surprisingly, I really enjoy it.”

              Mary Margaret frowned. “I’m so sorry about your dad. My mom passed away when I was ten, so I know how hard missing a parent can be.”

              David reached out and took her hand. “Mary Margaret, that’s awful! I mean, I at least know I’m better off without my drunk father. But for your mom to die like that? I’m so sorry.”

              Mary Margaret could barely form a coherent response. She was too distracted by his thumb slowly caressing her knuckles.

                            *****************************************************************

              “You were _where_ at dinner?” Ruby shrieked, pushing off her elbows to lean closer to Mary Margaret.

              “Shhh,” she hissed, glancing around the packed gym nervously.

              Emma’s eyes narrowed. “He has a girlfriend, Mary Margaret.”

              “I think it’s so romantic,” Ashley sighed, “the way he caught you today, and then he buys you dinner.”

              “And this is exactly why I didn’t tell you where I was going,” Mary Margaret grumbled, “and you can all calm down because it wasn’t like that. It was just a thank you for me doing him a favor at lunch.”

              “Things aren’t going well with Kathryn,” Ruby mused, “that’s got to mean something.”

              Emma rolled her eyes. “It means nothing unless he’s planning on breaking up with her. Watch out, MM, I mean it.”

              Mary Margaret pursed her lips, but before she could respond, the college instructors where running out, clapping to the music that was now blaring from the loudspeakers. Every high schooler in the gym surged to their feet, clapping and cheering as well. Okay, except for Emma. Mary Margaret’s rather cynical friend was biting her bottom lip, as if holding back her laughter. The blonde inclined her head to David, who was tossing Kathryn up in the air. He caught her feet easily and balanced her above his head. Kathryn flashed a dazzling smile as she lifted one leg into an arabesque. Then David popped her up into the air, she did a perfect double twist, and then David caught her in his arms. Caught her the same way he’d caught Mary Margaret earlier that day.

              Emma leaned in close and whispered in Mary Margaret’s ear, “Like I said, be careful. I don’t want to see you get hurt.”

                            **********************************************************

              Mary Margaret wandered the campus, deep in thought. After the closing program in the gym, she told her friends she needed to clear her head. Emma, of course, had made her promise to stick to the area of campus where camp was being held. Whenever her friend gave warnings like that, it made Mary Margaret realize what a tough life she had led in foster care before Ingrid had adopted her.

              But she had no plans to be stupid. She had seen enough Lifetime movies to know not to wander a dark college campus alone. So she stuck to the block of dorms where the cheerleading squads were lodged for the duration of camp. People congregated on the grassy lawn between them, blaring music from iPods and talking and laughing loudly. Some girls (and a small number of guys) munched on snacks from the vending machines as they lounged together on the grass. Kids from her school called out to her, but Mary Margaret just waved and kept walking.

              Emma was right. She was in trouble. Her summer crush had turned into more now that she’d actually gotten to know David, and she couldn’t see any way that it wouldn’t end in heartbreak. Emma had warned her to be careful, but it seemed a little late for that. Her heart was already way too invested in her Prince Charming. Even if he only saw her as a cute high school girl.

              Mary Margaret froze when she heard a familiar voice. Kathryn was behind a tree, giggling. The giggles were followed by sounds of kissing. Mary Margaret’s stomach turned and her heart plummeted. The last thing she wanted to see was a romantic embrace between the blonde and the guy she couldn’t help dreaming of. But before Mary Margret turned to go, she noticed something, even in the shadows in between the dorms. The guy that Kathryn had pressed against that tree had brown hair, not blonde. And he was slimmer than David. Mary Margaret crept closer, and as she did, Kathryn’s eyes caught hers. She gasped, and the guy she was with turned towards Mary Margaret, startled. For a minute, the three of them just stared at one another. Then Kathryn’s eyes slowly narrowed to angry slits.

              “Don’t you dare tell David about this,” she hissed, “I know you think he’s got some crush on you, but he’s never going to want a little girl like you.”

              Indignation flared up in Mary Margaret’s chest. “He doesn’t deserve to be cheated on!”

              The guy chuckled. “Let the little girl tell him. He’ll think she’s making it up anyway. Everyone knows she’s got a huge crush on him.”

              Kathryn laughed too, tugging the guy deeper into the shadows. “Come on, Jim.” Then she leaned closer to Mary Margaret and hissed, “Tell David, and I’ll make the rest of camp a living hell for you.”

                            ******************************************************

              “She’s cheating on him!” Mary Margaret blurted out as she burst into the room she was sharing with Ruby, Ashley, and Emma.

Only Ruby was there, sitting cross-legged on the bed, painting her nails bright red. It was against the squad dress code, but Ruby never cared about the rules. The dark haired girl arched one finely penciled eyebrow at her friend. “You mean Kathryn, I’m assuming.”

“Yes!” Mary Margaret cried, flinging herself across the twin bed next to Ruby’s.

Ruby squinted at her nails. “So? This is great! They break up, you get David all to yourself.”

Ashley came into the room, her cell phone pressed to her ear and a bag of chips dangling from her other hand. Since she was flushed and giggling, Mary Margaret assumed she was talking to her boyfriend, Sean. The blonde flung herself onto the bed underneath the window, paying no mind to her roommates.

             

              “I can’t tell him, Rubes,” Mary Margaret continued. “That Jim guy said he wouldn’t believe me, and he’s right. And how can I break his heart like that?” She grabbed her pillow and hugged it to her chest. “Where’s Emma?” This seemed like the kind of situation where her world-weary friend might have better advice.

              Ruby shrugged as she blew on her wet nails. “She snuck over to the other side of campus so she could fuck Killian.”

              “What? Doesn’t she know if she gets caught she could be kicked off the squad?”

              Ruby snorted. “Okay, first of all, that’s sort of the pot calling the kettle black, don’t you think? Little miss sneaking-around-with-one-of-the-instructors. And second, Emma only tried out on a dare. She only came to camp because she found out Killian’s swim team camp was being held here at the same time.”

              On the other side of the room, Ashley giggled into her phone. Ruby picked up her pillow and threw it at the blonde.

              “Ow! What the hell?”

              “Quit giggling with Sean and help me talk some sense into MM,” Ruby snapped.

              “I got to go, Sean,” Ashley said into the phone, “Mary Margaret’s having a crisis about a guy.”

              “I’m not having a crisis!”

              Ashley tossed her cell phone onto the bed as she swung her legs around. She leaned forward, “Okay, what’s up?”

              “Kathryn’s cheating on David,” Ruby supplied, leaning down to start on her toenails.

              “That’s great!” Ashley enthused, but at the sight of Mary Margaret’s tortured expression, her face fell. “Why, is that not great?”

              Before Mary Margaret could answer, Emma burst into the room, her face flushed, her eyes slightly dazed and her hair a mess. Mary Margaret now understood the phrase “sex hair.”

              “Emma, you do realize your tank top is on inside out, right?” Ruby pointed out, barely glancing up from her toenails.

              “Oops! Oh my God, you guys! That boy has SO much stamina,” she collapsed on her bed. “And a very talented mouth when it comes to foreplay. I think I need a shower.”

              “Virginal ears, Emma,” Ashley laughed, gesturing to Mary Margaret.

              “But maybe not virginal much longer,” Ruby teased with a sly grin.

              “Who said anything about sex?” Mary Margaret protested, her face turning bright red.

              Emma glanced between her three friends. “Did I miss something?”

              “Kathryn’s cheating on David,” Mary Margaret moaned, pressing her pillow to her face now.

              “That’s great!” Emma enthused.

              “How’s it great,” Mary Margaret asked, pulling the pillow away, “if it breaks his heart?”

              “Oh, our sweet Mary Margaret,” Ashley said, coming over to sit beside her and putting her arm around her.

              Mary Margaret sagged against her friend. But she was distracted from her problems by the sight of Emma, gazing dreamily into space as she twirled a lock of hair around her finger. It was very unlike her.

              “Emma, are you okay?”

              “Hmm?” she asked, distracted, “What?”

              Mary Margaret smiled. “You really love him, don’t you?”

              Emma sprawled across the bed. “I’m going to marry that boy, I swear to you. I’m going to marry him and have his adorable blue-eyed elf-eared babies.”             

              Ruby groaned. “What happened to you, Ems?”

              “Ugh, you know I hate that nickname. And what you mean?”

              “You used to be my fellow wild child,” Ruby pouted. “Experimenting, sampling this and that. But since you started dating Killian, you’ve turned into a total sap. Please tell me you haven’t picked out baby names yet.”

              Emma twirled a lock of hair dreamily again. “Henry and Hope.”

              “Ugh, don’t do the letter thing.”

              “The letter thing?”

              Ruby rolled her eyes. “You know, picking a letter and naming all twenty kids names that begin with that letter.”

              “I never said we were having twenty kids,” argued Emma.

              “The way you two bang?” Ruby chuckled. “I wouldn’t be surprised.”

              “We know what birth control is, Rubes,” Emma retorted with a roll of her eyes, “and I bet Ashley has names picked out too, am I right?”

              Ashley sighed. “Alexandra for a girl and Thomas for a boy.”

              Ruby snorted. “On second thought, MM, please stay single. I don’t think I can handle much more of this.”

              “Yes,” Emma said, getting up and moving to flop down on the other side of Mary Margaret, “we need to focus. On Operation . . . True Love?”

              “I was thinking Operation Get Mary Margaret Laid,” Ruby responded dryly, her tongue poking out of her mouth as she carefully swiped nail polish onto her baby toe.

              “He deserves to know,” Emma told Mary Margaret gently. “As painful as it was when I found out about Neal and Tamara, it at least gave me the courage to end something that wasn’t working anyway.”

              Mary Margaret’s chin trembled. “But I’m scared. What if he gets mad? Or thinks I’m doing it so I can have him for myself?”

              Emma pulled her into a tight hug. “Then he doesn’t know you very well.”

                            ****************************************************

              Breakfast wasn’t for another hour, and the campus was silent. Even though the sun was up on this bright summer day, there was still a chill to the air. Mary Margaret pulled her Storybrooke High hoodie tighter around herself as she walked. She couldn’t sleep as she wrestled all night with what to do.

              Her head was down, studying her feet as her thoughts tumbled around in her brain. She didn’t see David until she had collided with his solid chest.

              “Excuse me, I . . .” Mary Margaret trailed off when she looked up into his face. Lines creased around his eyes and on his forehead. His usually sparkling blue eyes were dull and dark, and a frown rested upon his lips instead of his trademark smile. “Are you okay?”

              David ran a hand wearily over his face. “Okay?” he chuckled sardonically. “How can a guy possibly be okay when he just caught his girlfriend in bed with someone else?”

              “Oh David,” Mary Margaret said softly. This was ten times worse than if she had told him. Her heart truly broke at the anguish on his face.

              David searched her face intently, and she blushed under his gaze, feeling as if he could read her thoughts. “You’re not surprised.” He lifted his eyes to look around the empty, silent campus, then focused back on her. “You knew. Did everyone know but me?”

              Mary Margaret wasn’t sure why, but tears welled up in her eyes, and she blinked rapidly to hold them back. “I’m so sorry, David. I caught them kissing last night. I don’t think anyone else knew. Kathryn threatened me to keep it quiet.”

              His eyes widened with a look of betrayal. “Why didn’t you come to me? Right away?”

              She flinched at his hurt and anger. A tear slipped from her eye and rolled down her cheek. “How could I? I hated the thought of you hurt. And I didn’t want you to think . . . “ she took a shaky breath before plunging on, “that I was happy about it.”

              His brow furrowed. “Why would you think that?”

              She gave him a wobbly smile. “Isn’t it obvious? I would have given anything to be Kathryn – to be able to call you my boyfriend. I don’t know why she couldn’t see what she had.”

              His eyes were laser focused on her. She wished she could read his mind. “So you were worried I would think you were only telling me so we could be together?”

              Mary Margaret nodded tightly, worry pressing on her chest. Would he laugh? Brush her off as a silly, naïve high school girl?

              What he actually did rendered Mary Margaret speechless. He surged closer, cupping her face and capturing his lips with hers. Mary Margaret melted into it, her knees going weak just as they had when he caught her when she fell. He pressed her ever closer, deepening the kiss, and she was embarrassed when a whimper escaped her throat when he pulled away.

              He smiled down at her, caressing her cheeks with his fingertips. “Funny thing is, Kathryn was mad at me the other day for flirting with you. She’s always been self-absorbed; our relationship was doomed a long time ago.”

              Mary Margaret frowned. “So am I a rebound?”

              David pressed his forehead to hers. “You wouldn’t ask that question if that kiss made you feel the way I feel right now.”

              Mary Margaret reached up to trace his jaw. “Oh believe me, I’m feeling things.”

              He brushed his lips against hers again, then whispered against her jaw. “And how is it making you feel?”

              “Like I’m falling.”

             

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> This is loosely (VERY loosely) based on something that happened to me way back in the day when I was a cheerleader. While I did fall into the arms of a hunky male cheerleader (think Tom Welling or Kyle Chandler), all I did was stutter incoherently and stumble on wobbly legs. But hey, I was only 14!


End file.
